1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk drive cage assembly, and particularly to an adaptable disk drive cage assembly for a computer that is easily modifiable to selectively accommodate a vertical-type computer front bezel or a horizontal-type computer front bezel, and to a disk drive cage assembly which has shielding for preventing electromagnetic interference (EMI).
2. The Related Art
A conventional disk drive cage usually defines a plurality of bays to receive and accommodate data storage devices such as magnetic disks, optical disks, tape backups, and other drives. The bays provide flexibility for arranging such components. Since the bays are not completely configured, there are usually additional openings through which emission of electromagnetic radiation occurs and causes EMI problem. In the past, a widely used method to deal with electromagnetic radiation emission was to stamp rectangular traces on a front metal panel corresponding to openings of the bays. If any of the bays is to be inserted into a data storage device, a detachable plate portion surrounded by the rectangular traces will be removed away from the metal panel thereby forming an opening for the bay. Other detachable plate portions will be retained integral with the metal front panel as shield members when the empty bays blocked by them are not to be used. Only when the bay needed to be used to receive a data storage device could the corresponding shield member on the front panel be taken off with a tool. However, assembly using this method is inconvenient and the material of the shield member integral with the front panel is limited. Furthermore, the integral shield member can easily create harmful rough edges after it is removed from the front panel. Moreover, once the shield member is taken off, it can not be reinstalled.
Although later designed shield members made from thin sheet metal material are not originally integral with the front metal panel, such as those disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 85207472 and 85219481, the installation of such shield members in corresponding bays is by screws, making the task cumbersome and time-consuming.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved shield member which is easily installed on the front panel without the shortcomings of the prior art.
On the other hand, as the development of computers have advanced, it has become desirable to provide compatible assemblies, such as an adaptable disk drive cage assembly for a computer that is easily modifiable to selectively accommodate a vertical computer front bezel or a horizontal computer front bezel. Many problems must be resolved for such a drive cage. A vertical-type (tower-type) computer usually can not be simply converted to a horizontal-type configuration because some electrical components, such as CD-ROMs and HDDs may not operate in a user-friendly way especially during accessing the disks or the drives when they are converted from a normally horizontal position to a vertical position. Additionally, the dimension of the CD-ROM or HDD may not match the dimension of the bays of the cage placed horizontally. FIGS. 1A to 1C shows schematic front views of conventional vertical-type and horizontal-type computer enclosures 90 and a drive 94. The computer enclosure 90 includes a disk dive cage 92 for receiving a plurality of drives 94. Suppose the width of the disk drive cage 92 is W, the height is H, and the width of the drive 94 is A, the height is B. When the computer enclosure 90 is placed vertically, W must be equal to A to horizontally receive the drive 94, while when the computer enclosure 90 is placed horizontally, H must be equal to A to horizontally receive the drive 94. Since W is equal to H, section of the drive cage must be square. Normally, the drive 94 has a specific dimension, where the width A thereof is three times of the height B thereof plus a constant 2D and meets an equation: W=A=3B+2D. In other words, there will be a gap D respectively at the upper and the lower edges of the cage which will allow the emission of electromagnetic radiation and cause an EMI problem.
It is requisite to provide a new disk drive cage assembly for solving the above disadvantages and problems.
With the foregoing particularly in mind, it is an object of this invention to permit enhanced flexibility in selecting and accommodating vertical computer front bezels or horizontal computer front bezels while maintaining suitable shielding against emission of electromagnetic radiation. In realizing this object of the present invention, protecting patches are integrally formed along a periphery of a disk drive cage bay window and manually removable shield members are mounted in the disk drive cage bays for decreasing the emission of electromagnetic radiation.
It is another object of the present invention to permit full EMI shielding whether the disk drive cage is assembled in a computer in a vertical or in a horizontal configuration. In realizing this object of the present invention, removable protecting patches are formed for shielding extra gaps around a drive cage bay window. The gaps are formed because the window is a little larger than a conventional drive cage so as to receive disk dives in any orientation, and are formed such that if the patches in one orientation are removed to mount disk drives, the patches in the other orientation still exist to shield the gaps.
It is another object of the present invention to enable easy and convenient installation and removal of shield members. In realizing this object of the present invention, the shield members are designed using easily operated hooked spring arms which engage the shield with the sides of a bay, making screw unnecessary.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: